Best Surveillance Video Recorders in 2022

Last update: December 13, 2022

Can NVR be hacked?

NVRs, or network video recorders, are a type of security camera that records video footage onto a hard drive, just like a DVR. However, NVRs connect to an IP network instead of using coaxial cables. This means that NVRs can be located anywhere there is an Internet connection. Because NVRs connect to the Internet, they are vulnerable to hacking just like any other device that is connected to the Internet.

Can NVR work without internet?

No, NVRs cannot work without an internet connection. They rely on being able to connect to a network in order to function properly.

Do I need a DVR for security cameras?

A DVR is not required for security cameras, but it is recommended. DVRs provide better image quality and longer recording times than VCRs. They are also more resistant to tampering and can be password protected.

Do wireless cameras record all the time?

Wireless cameras are a great way to keep an eye on your property, but you might be wondering if they record all the time. The answer is: it depends on the camera. Some wireless cameras are designed to record continuously, while others only record when they detect motion. You can usually set this recording schedule yourself, so you can decide how often you want your camera to record.


blurams Home Pro, Security Camera 1080p FHD | w/ Facial Recognition, 2-Way Talk, Siren, Human/Sound Detection, Smart Alerts, Privacy and Night Vision Wi-Fi Cam | Cloud/Local Storage, Works with Alexa Review:


I purchased this camera after searching for a while for a reasonably priced camera to add a little bit of home protection. This camera is perfect for my needs! I could buy a couple more for use around the house if I needed to, and I'm going to buy them anyway!The photographs and video are crisp and clear, and I can check them on my phone to see everyone that passes by.– The infrared camera works great! The photos are sharp and clear even at night when all the lights are off!Motion sensor rocks! This app gives you a 5x5 grid you may select to detect instead of having to fine-tune the edges, thus it's relatively easy to adjust to ignore parts you don't require that have a larger traffic volume. This is in contrast to some other cameras where you have to define a blob of the places you need.-App is well-designed and simple to use! The camera has a time and date stamp, and I had no trouble at all setting it up through the app. I can also sort through the movies it took by date and even further refine it by kind (options are Motion, Sound, and Human shape).-Lens is a little fish-eye, thus it has better coverage than I anticipated! My entire living room is covered by a little camera, so there aren't many blind spots.Other App is a drawback. The fact that I have to add another app to use a camera instead of utilizing one that already integrates with one of my other applications is a small inconvenience, but considering the much lower cost of a quality camera, it's not a big deal. Additionally, it's a well-made app, therefore I can't really find many faults with it.



Baby Monitor, Wireless WiFi Home Security System 1080P FHD Wansview for Elder and Pet Camera with Motion Detection, 2 Way Audio, Works with Alexa, TF Card and Cloud Available K5 Review:


includes mounting hardware With the app, setup and use are simple.As long as it's a wansview camera, you can add a variety of cameras to the app.You have the choice to buy a recurring monthly cloud recording subscription. You could also do what I did and buy a micro SD card. You don't have to do either, either. If the motion detection option is enabled, it continues to function and capture 10-second motion clips. But without the cloud or card, that has a finite amount of storage. I've included an image of the SD card slot on the actual camera body. A second and third camera are things I want to add. Four devices maximum can be added.Pros: With their clear instructions, setting up for the first time takes only five minutes for both software and hardware. (After we used the proper app) I enjoy how well-designed, attractive, and compact the camera gear is. The wide-angle lens on this model is the clearest and most comprehensive I've seen, and I enjoy the sleek appearance. Surprisingly high-quality films and photographs that are clear and crisp day and night. Great audio and microphone. If you open the camera with sound and are close to it, you will receive feedback. Also, keep away from fans. The Wansview cloud iPhone and Android phone apps are simple to install, use, and customize. My husband has an Android, while I have an iPhone. Both apps function well. The camera notifies me of motion via alerts on my phone and 10-second video clips in the mobile app. Since we have dogs, we disabled this option to prevent recurring notifications. The main user (the one who first sets up the camera with the phone app) can extend an invite to up to 3 other users who will need to download the app, register an account, and then be able to see the camera as well. Allows you to use an SD card for more recording capabilities. Has a feature on the app that lets you to set various favorite positions which I adore. We both tested the connection on the app when we weren't home (he's in another state right now) and neither had a trouble connecting or watching the camera. You can therefore hit a potion while changing the angle, and it will return there immediately.Cons: (thus far only one) - Incapability for audio-detection alerts (only motion-detection). Possibly, in the future, this will alter.)Overall, I would unquestionably recommend this camera based on pricing, quality, and ease of use.



EZVIZ Indoor Security Camera 1080p FHD Motion Alert Night Vision Baby/Pet/Elder Monitoring 135° Wide Angle 2.4G Wi-Fi 2-Way Audio Smart Home IPC Works with Alexa Google IFTTT iOS Android App BK CTQ2C Review:


Another update: The cameras are now operational. Sometimes they won't connect, but I think that's more a problem with my phone's internet connecting to the cameras than with the cameras themselves. I would advise recommending Update: I never managed to contact customer assistance, but I reset the cameras once again and took my time setting them up, and it appears to have worked. Since they do work but don't appear to have any product support to aid with problems that can arise during use, I updated to three stars.Update: I've given this review 1 star now. Prior to switching internet service providers, these were functioning perfectly. However, the only method to change the WiFi is to reset the camera. I've had nothing but issues and mistakes ever since. I tried emailing customer assistance, but the email address is invalid. This product will only receive one star until I get some assistance. I'll post my initial evaluation here.Original rating of 5 stars: The setup of these cameras was the simplest I've ever experienced. I was astounded by how quickly they connected to my WiFi and I was able to set them (I bought 2) up. EZVIZ outdoor security cameras are something I already have, therefore I already have an account with them. I strongly advise.



YI 1080p Home Camera, Indoor 2.4G IP Security Surveillance System with 24/7 Emergency Response, Night Vision for Home/Office/Baby/Nanny/Pet Monitor with iOS, Android App - Cloud Service Available Review:


Purchased this to keep an eye on our front entrance while we were abroad. The item arrived on schedule, and it took me less than an hour to set it up on my Android phone. The camera was placed outside the office window facing our front porch with a 32GB micro SD card we purchased for it, and the picture is crystal clear throughout the day! I can get the alerts and see them on my laptop, phone, or both. If I wish to see the entire footage of the movement, I can view more than the 6-second clip. The 6-second clip can be quickly saved to an SD card, but the entire video is not preserved. But I discovered that I can still see the footage if I leave that clip in the activities for that day. Although I've reduced the sensitivity and alert frequency settings, it still detects passing vehicles. However, I don't mind because I can quickly erase the unnecessary clips. That I can be thousands of miles away and still be able to keep an eye on my front porch astounds and pleases me. Additionally, it is far less expensive than the Ring or Nest products. I'm thrilled with this purchase!



ANNKE 8CH 5-in-1 1080P Lite Security Standalone DVR H.264+ HDMI Output, Quick QR Code Scan and Easy Remote View for Home Security Surveillance Camera System,NO Hard Drive Included Review:


I'm not going to identify them here, but I've tried other brands that were completely useless (unable to stop hundreds of false alarms, detection failures, etc.). With this DVR, I was still able to receive 100% detection, real-time email and text notifications, and event recording while almost eliminating any potential false alarms. The DVR captures everything you need to see to figure out exactly what happened 30 seconds before and 30 seconds after an occurrence, and it can deliver real-time email or text with numerous pictures from the most important photographs from that time frame (i.e. who came to your door, etc.). From the mobile and PC app, you can remotely live see any one or more cameras at once. It is simple to review event history by navigating to select tick marks on the timeline or looking up specific events on individual cameras. Even better, you can watch events with up to two synchronized cameras side-by-side (this is particularly useful for seeing people and cars move from one camera's field of view to another).The UI appears to be superior to most (nice graphics and easy to navigate). Due to the lack of useful default settings, however, configuring the system takes an excessive amount of time (you have to click through 56 windows to establish the most basic "do this always" setting because you have to specify options for each day of the week for each camera). Confusionally dispersed and simple to overlook are several elements, including arranging event triggering/recording and configuring event scheduling. For instance, suppose you configure a number of event/alarm triggers but neglect to additionally go to a different menu section and configure the recording schedule; as a result, nothing happens, leaving you perplexed and dissatisfied. Although the handbook is better than most, certain features are still inadequately stated and detailed (like pretty much all of the Recording Schedule section of the interface). Even worse, some of the features in this part are completely broken (I talked with their help on these issues and they were quite responsive; perhaps, they will be fixed).This DVR's capacity to recognize "VCA Events" may be its most helpful feature. This enables you to configure features like "line crossing," where you can draw a line and then specify that an alarm should go off when something crosses the line in either the left- or right-hand direction. Object disposal, loitering, parking, abandoned baggage, facial recognition, and other triggers are also available. The "Line Crossing" function, in my opinion, is the best means of getting rid of the false positives brought on by the more prevalent block-area motion detection. You can never completely eliminate false positives from shadows, bugs flying near the camera, sprinklers, clouds, automobile lights, etc. when you block out an area for motion detection (most DVRs support this). When something crosses a line, such as your front step, it is considered to have crossed the line and not only activated a square in front of the camera. By doing this, 90% of false positives are removed. My system is configured to record both motion and VCA events, but only VCA events will send emails, messages, or loud alarms (so I over record for historical info but only alarm when something really happens). Regrettably, you can only create one VCA event (fixing this would make this a truly stand-out DVR). In order to reduce false alarms on the other cameras, I ultimately use the VCA event for the most crucial camera (such as the front door), limit the motion area, and lower the sensitivity.As with all other DVRs, you will need to experiment with the motion sensitivity while configuring block-area motion detection. For me, setting the sensitivity to 1 helps the camera detect motion that is between 5 and 10 feet away. To detect motion within 15-20 feet, use 2; for further out, use 3 or more. The more sensitive the setting, the more false alarms you should anticipate. Additionally, try to set the motion area to as few squares as possible. Try turning them all on and then observing what triggers with various sensitivity set (you will likely be surprised). Next, eliminate any areas you genuinely don't require. Your false alarms will go way down as a result.Overall, the hardware is functional. The software has some flaws, and the user interface has some problems (hopefully they will fix these in an update). This security DVR is still the finest I've used. It functions and has more features than most. You can't beat it for the price.ADVANCEMENT (2019)Despite the fact that this is still the greatest CCTV DVR system for low cost security, analog security systems are now all but extinct. You would be far better off investing in a digital NVR system unless you already have analog CCTV (coax) cable or devices in place. Your best option is to use wired POE cameras with an excellent NVR, such as one from Reolink or Amcrest. Even while the low-cost NVR systems frequently lack all the trigger features (such as line crossings and loitering), they nevertheless cost more than a CCTV DVR system. However, the extra expense is justified by the ease of use, greater resolution, app independence, and future-proofing.



Amcrest NV4108E-HS 4K 8CH POE NVR (1080p/3MP/4MP/5MP/6MP/8MP/4K) POE Network Video Recorder - Supports up to 8 x 8MP/4K IP Cameras, 8-Channel Power Over Ethernet Supports up to 6TB HDD (Not Included) Review:


The NVR's setup instructions are not the clearest I've ever read, and one of them asks for a Preferred DNS and Alternate DNS. Until I learned to input 8.8.8.8 for Preferred DNS and 8.8.4.4 for Alternate DNS through a search, I was stuck at this point. The Amcrest WiFi cameras are already set up and connected to the app; however, I was unable to connect them to the NVR. When I contacted support, Jared patiently assisted me. The NVR did not like my password since it had unusual characters, so steer clear of them. This was the first problem. We were able to reset the password after a series of procedures, and I then had to repeat the process with each camera to reset their respective passwords. He was able to establish a connection with my laptop and set up the cameras using the web application, which is considerably simpler than using the NVR screen. I'm still working on adding more cameras, so I won't know how it works for a while, but for now, I'll give Amcrest 4 stars because their assistance was helpful during our 45-minute call, giving me faith that Amcrest would be there to help me if I run into any other problems. Since this is my first NVR, I can't compare it to others, but as long as you follow my advice on the passwords, it's not too awful.



ENSTER Wireless Solar Battery Powered Security Camera with Motion Sensor Floodlight Outdoor, 1080P with Night Vision, Motion Detection, Waterproof Support Cloud and Max 32GB Micro SD Card- iOS/Android Review:


Before purchasing an outdoor camera, I conducted a ton of research. The camera's display is crystal clear. Always charging is the solar panel. None of the wires on this camera. One of the factors in my decision was this. The software is incredibly simple to use. I am really pleased that I purchased this camera right away.



Ubiquiti Networks Network Video Recorder UVC-NVR-2TB -New Version With Much Larger 2TB Hard Drive Review:


Investing in an NVR is essential when using Ubiquiti cameras. Initially, I was running the program on an always-on PC, but in the end, I decided to use the NVR instead because it was dedicated and I wouldn't have to worry about the PC needing to be on or restarting for windows updates, etc. Another benefit is that it uses a lot less electricity than a computer.The ability to combine my Ubiquiti cameras with my echo shows and Crestron touch panels has been much improved by adding this. It is very simple to set up your streaming URLs and other parameters and use the RTSP Endpoint skill with Alexa to make this happen.The only minor problem I encountered was my own fault. I tried the program on a PC first and connected it to my cloud account, then when I got the NVR, I gave it the same name as I had given my software's NVR install. Finding the disconnect took some back and forth with Ubiquiti, but once they had the data they could use, they had a remote session with me and found the problem. They offer excellent client service.Overall, another outstanding offering from Ubiquiti!



Mi Home Security Camera, Xiaomi HD 1080P 2.4G/5G WiFi Smart IP Security Surveillance System for Baby Pet Indoor Monitor, Night Vision, Two Way Audio Review:


Overall excellent for the cost. Excellent camera quality, including night vision! Only issue is that the power cord should be longer. If you want to mount something, you will also need some sort of adhesive. I presently keep it on a little table that the dog's tail may easily knock off due to these limitations. I appreciate that you can deactivate when your iPhone is in range and turn off the blue light while it's recording so you don't feel like you're being watched. You can also get motion alerts. You should be able to lower sensitivity within specific viewing distances. Motion detection is quite delayed and picked up wayyyy too much, even the flashing of my decorative Christmas lights. I tried this, however I still received 12 motion notifications from those lights overnight. Although they've considered every possibility, whether they actually function is another matter. That being said, a terrific tiny camera for $40.


Do you need Wi-Fi for wireless security cameras?

Wireless security cameras are becoming increasingly popular, but many people are unsure about whether or not they need Wi-Fi for them to work. The short answer is no, you do not need Wi-Fi for wireless security cameras to work. However, there are some benefits to using Wi-Fi, which we will discuss below. Wireless security cameras transmit data using a radio frequency signal, which means they can be placed anywhere in your home or business without the need for a Wi-Fi connection. However, if you do have Wi-Fi, you may be able to

How do I choose a DVR recorder?

How do you hide a camera in plain sight?

One way to hide a camera in plain sight is to use a hidden camera. There are many types of hidden cameras available on the market, such as a pinhole camera, a nanny cam, or a spy cam. Another way to hide a camera is to use a regular camera and simply camouflage it. There are many ways to do this, such as using a plant or a book.

How do you record a surveillance video?

To record a surveillance video, you will need a camera, a recording device, and a way to view the footage. Many surveillance cameras are now digital, which means they can be connected to a computer or other recording device. You can also purchase a stand-alone DVR (digital video recorder) to record the footage. When choosing a recording device, make sure it has enough storage capacity for the amount of footage you want to record. You will also need to choose a viewing method. Some surveillance cameras come with a built-in screen, while others must be connected to a monitor or

How far can a wireless security camera transmit?

Wireless security cameras are becoming increasingly popular as they offer a number of advantages over traditional wired cameras. One of the main benefits of wireless security cameras is that they can be placed almost anywhere, as they do not require a power source or a wired connection. However, one of the main concerns with wireless security cameras is how far they can transmit their signal. The range of a wireless security camera can vary depending on a number of factors, such as the type of camera, the frequency of the signal, and the surrounding environment. In general, most wireless security cameras have a

How far can security cameras see?

Most security cameras have a field of view of about 80 degrees, which is more than enough to cover most business premises. However, there are some cameras that have a much wider field of view, which can be useful in larger premises or if you want to cover a wider area.